active around 1320 -1350 · Rimini and legacy of Giotto

Bright colors, tight episodes and daily details make Giovanni Baronzio the major narrative voice of the second Giottesque generation in Rimini.

Giovanni Baronzio was active in Rimini and the Marches between around 1320 and 1350. Documents about him are rare. An altar painting dated 1345, now in Urbino, bears the Latin signature Johannes Barontius; an act from 1343 also cites Iohanne Baroncio pictore. A later document mentions his tomb in the San Giuliano church in Rimini. Baronzio belongs to the second generation of the Rimini school, profoundly transformed by Giotto's visit to the city at the beginning of the 14th century. He receives this heritage from Giovanni and Pietro da Rimini: more volumetric figures, expressive gestures and architectures capable of organizing the story. However, he translates it into a personal language, more decorative and abundant. Its panels multiply episodes, costumes, objects, animals and details of daily life. The stories of Christ, the Virgin and Saint John the Baptist are often distributed in superimposed registers, each compartment functioning like a small theater stage. The color combines reds, blues, roses and gold backgrounds with great vivacity. Baronzio's catalog has long been unstable. In the 20th century, several groups were separated under conventional names; In the 20th century, several groups were separated under conventional names; Baronzio's catalog was unstable for a long time. In the 20th century, several groups were separated under conventional names; Recent studies have restored some of these works to him. In the 20th century, several groups were separated under conventional names; Baronzio's catalog was unstable for a long time. In the 20th century, several groups were separated under conventional names; Baronzio's catalog was unstable for a long time. In the 20th century, several groups were separated under conventional names; in the 20th century, several groups were separated under conventional names; Recent studies have restored some of these works to him. In the 20th century, several groups were separated under conventional names; Baronzio's catalog was unstable for a long time. In the 20th century, several groups were separated under conventional names; Baronzio's catalog Baronzio remains the main representative of a riminese painting capable of transforming Giottesque monumentality into abundant, emotional narration rich in familiar observations. The "Giovanni Baronzio" selection notably compares Annunciation, Nativity and Adoration of the Magi and Scenes from the Life of Christ. His reading favors details.

Baronzio tells like an illuminator turned monumental painter: each register contains a gesture, an object and a detail which bring sacred history closer to real life.